study psychology: keeping your options open€¦ · a degree in forensic psychology can only lead...

The University of Buckingham Psychology Newsletter | Autumn 2016

Lots of students come to us saying ‘I want to be a forensic psychologist’ or ‘I want to be a clinical psychologist.’ It’s completely understandable – when you think of psychology, mental health and criminal profiling are probably the first two things that come to mind! However, the number of students that leave us with this same ambition are far fewer. It’s not to say that they’re not capable of these careers, it’s more that studying psychology at degree level has opened their minds to new possibilities.

Psychology is an incredibly broad discipline. There will undoubtedly be areas of psychology which you have never heard of until you study them as an undergraduate. Even if you have taken A-level Psychology, you are only introduced to a select few possible career routes. It’s quite likely that you will discover a new area which you find to be your niche, and that might be something completely different to what you thought it would be.

Taking myself as an example, I went to university with that same idea - ‘I want to be a forensic psychologist.’ Then I discovered that criminal profiling as it’s portrayed in the media doesn’t really exist. New career path needed! Over the course of my degree I swung from forensic, to neuropsychology, to clinical psychology before finally settling on health psychology as the one for me.

For this reason, it’s important not to specialise too early in your career path. Whilst the temptation to take an undergraduate degree in forensic psychology, for example, might be strong, this could potentially not serve you well later. A degree in forensic psychology can only lead to a career in forensic psychology. A general psychology degree, however, has multiple possibilities. Postgraduate courses in specialist areas of psychology don’t require you to have a specialist undergraduate degree. In fact, you might find that some specialist degrees aren’t actually accepted by many postgraduate courses. A general psychology degree accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) is a passport to all areas of psychology and beyond.

At Buckingham, we pride ourselves in offering our students the opportunity to study a module in all seven of the BPS and HCPC recognised areas of psychology where you’re able to work in practice. This will enable you to get that all-important exposure to undergraduate study in your area of choice, whilst still meaning you can change career paths at a later date without studying for a whole new degree. Being flexible in your outlook now might mean that you discover your real passion later.

Dr Emily Doe

Study Psychology: Keeping your options open

Psychology at Buckingham


An Interview with Dr Philip Fine

Get to know our lecturing staff: In this edition we will take a look at Dr Philip Fine’s responses to our probing questions. Next time we will be interviewing Dr Emily Doe and the Head of Department, Dr Alan Martin.

What modules do you teach?I teach Cognition, Perception, Cognitive Neuropsychology and Neuroscience. I also contribute to Creative Performance and Expertise.

Why do you teach those particular modules?I have always had an interest in the workings of the mind and how it relates to our biology, so cognitive psychology (which includes perception) and cognitive neuroscience are natural areas for me to teach and research in.

Tell us about your undergraduate experience?I studied Natural Science at Cambridge, which was a broad degree. At the time I started I was very much a biologist, so I took modules in zoology, botany, cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, and, eventually, psychology. I studied Psychology and Physiology joint honours in my final year.

Why did you choose to study psychology?Almost by accident! In my second year I needed to choose another option, and a friend of mine in the year above had done psychology and enjoyed it. I knew a little about it as my brother and sister-in-law had studied it previously, but it wasn’t planned when I started as an undergraduate.

Undergraduate confessions... if you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?I would organise my time better and enjoy the great transition in my life from pupil at school to undergraduate living away from home more than I did. I would worry less!


Ken Gilhooly and David Hambrick have done some great work on problem solving and expertise. It was amazing to meet Donald Broadbent, the founder of cognitive psychology, back in 1993 before he died.

If you could teach any psychology related module, what would it be?Psychology of music, which I have taught to music undergraduates at Oxford but never to psychology undergraduates.

What sort of research are you involved in right now?I’m currently involved in projects investigating understanding sung text, ‘time personality’, and cryptic crossword expertise.

To learn more about some of Dr Fine’s research, see the CREATE article on pages six and seven.

What was your journey to becoming a psychology lecturer?I studied a DPhil at Oxford, and when my funding was running out, a colleague of mine who had done some visiting lecturing at Buckingham put an advert for a lectureship there on my desk. He said ‘Why not apply for this? I enjoyed working there, nice place’. When I started my DPhil I had no wish to become a lecturer; I dreaded the idea of standing up in front of people. But, as I didn’t know what else I wanted to do, I applied anyway and got the position. The rest, as they say, is history; I’m still here almost 20 years later!

Why do you like teaching at the University of Buckingham?I really enjoy getting to know students individually through the relatively small cohorts we have at Buckingham. The tutorial teaching allows much more interesting debate than you would find at most universities, and it is always a pleasure to see the journey that the students make here from fresher to graduate. I also enjoy working in a relatively small department where the staff all know each other and mutually support each other in their teaching and research.

Who is your psychology hero?I’m not sure I have one specific hero, but there have been some great names in both cognitive psychology and music psychology, one of my research areas. John Sloboda really brought music psychology to the fore in the UK back in the 1970s and 1980s, and


Soapbox Science

What do psychologists and other scientists actually do? What do they look like? These are questions that a national series of free events over the summer answered.

Soapbox Science takes women scientists into public places to talk about their research. It aims to challenge stereotypes about scientists and offer an opportunity to hear about current research from those actually carrying it out.

I was at the Milton Keynes Soapbox event on Saturday 9 July, in Middleton Hall (outside John Lewis). My talk was entitled, ‘From elephants to Uh-ohs, the psychology of insight.’ The idea was that

I stood on a box for an hour talking about my PhD research to whoever happened to be passing by! Whilst being daunted by the prospect, I really enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm for psychology. Also, I started as a psychology undergraduate aged 37, and as such wanted to show that a career in psychology is possible whoever you are.

Other Soapbox events have seen exciting props, including full size models of a cow and a dragon, so I felt the pressure to impress! One option I had was to try and persuade someone to lend me an elephant for a day (ethics, anyone?). In the end my more realistic (and ethically sound) plan was to combine two aspects of my talk, elephants and Connect 4, into one giant elephant-Connect 4 game by channelling my inner Blue Peter.

If you’d like to catch one of these events or find out more about Soapbox Science go to www.soapboxscience.org

Here is a Q and A blog that I wrote for this event: www.soapboxscience.org/?p=2801

Gill HillPostgraduate Research Student

Psychology SocietyThis is a student-led society providing fun events, parties and psychology-related activities to all students across the University.

Follow the society on its Facebook page (University Of Buckingham Psychology Society).


Why I chose Buckingham

Not sure a big university is right for you? Read about Priyanjali’s journey to Buckingham.

Studying at the University of Buckingham has been one of the best decisions I have made in my adult life so far. Having studied at a large state university in the past and resuming my higher education career at Buckingham, there are a lot of differences, which are all in favour of Buckingham.

At my previous university I felt lost in the crowd when it came to asking for help and being fully supported. I faced several difficulties and felt marginalised by the lack of interest that the university presented and ultimately had to leave because of it. I heard about Buckingham from a relative who had completed his undergraduate degree here. After looking at what the undergraduate Psychology degree had to offer (a two-year course with lectures, seminars and tutorials for every module) and visiting the University and the Psychology Department, I applied.

Despite the course structure being quite attractive from a learning aspect, I still

had many doubts in mind and a sense of reluctance during the waiting period before going off to university; ‘Will I have as much fun as I did at my old state university - I’m not sure if I’ll enjoy it’; ‘Buckingham is small, will I meet a lot of people that I’ll get along with?’. I was afraid I would miss the experiences I had at my old university because Buckingham is so different.

So how did it turn out once I started studying here? Well, my uncertainties quickly disappeared!

The course structure engaged me as the subjects we studied in lectures were explored further in seminars and tutorials. All of my lecturers have been responsive and helpful with any kind of problem I’ve had or help I’ve needed.

As for my social life, I have met countless people that I get along with and have already had so many memorable experiences after being here for only two terms. I think that the Buckingham community reflects the UK in its cultural diversity. I’ve had the opportunity to experience different cultures and I love making friends with people from all around the world.

I am happy with the progress in my studies and happy with the friends I have made here. I am certain that I will continue to prosper at Buckingham with the special personal touch they give to teaching and learning and I am looking forward to it.

Priyanjali Ratwatte


Launch of the new CREATE research centre at Buckingham

In 2015 we were very excited to launch the new CREATE research hub at the University. Building on our research expertise in the areas of musical, creative and cognitive performance, this centre pulls together all our in-house and external collaborators into one inspiring and ground-breaking community within the Psychology department. We caught up with Dr Philip Fine and Dr Kathryn Friedlander, the directors of the new hub, to find out a little more.

What does CREATE stand for?Philip: It’s an acronym for the ‘Centre for Research in Expertise Acquisition, Training and Excellence’, which essentially covers just about anything in the area of performing arts (music, theatre), puzzles and board games, insight, creativity and the development of expertise in any niche area outside sports and business.

What’s new about CREATE?PhIlip: We’ve been researching into a wide range of performance areas for many years now, particularly puzzles (Sudoku and crosswords) and music, and our staff members are very active in research within these fields. Over the years, we’ve collaborated with other researchers, both internally and externally, but this is the first time we’ve been able to pull all the threads together in one place. We’re now able to share a motivational ‘meeting-space’ for the discussion of active research within the department via dedicated on-line message boards and shared resources.

So is CREATE just for postgraduate research students or can undergraduates join in?Kathryn: No, it’s for undergraduates, too. With the mix of staff knowledge here at Buckingham, we knew that we had a

Dr Kathryn Friedlander and Dr Philip Fine


fantastic opportunity to enthuse, inform and train a new generation of psychologists in our field. So we spent about a year developing a brand new undergraduate module called ‘Creative Performance and Expertise’ (CP&E) using a blend of subjects that is unique within the UK. CP&E has now run for three years, and is very popular with students, who find it easy to engage with the subjects we cover. It has also won praise from several external assessors of the University for its attractive, innovative and high quality content. It’s something we are really proud of, as no other UK university can offer this experience at an undergraduate level.

What kind of subjects does CP&E cover?Kathryn: The range is surprisingly wide. Given our particular expertise in music and puzzle-solving, it’s no surprise to find these subjects in the module. We also cover theatrical performance, creativity in the areas of art and invention, savant skills, extreme feats of memorisation, board games, and much, much more.

It sounds fascinating! What research project opportunities does this lead to?Kathryn: Our undergraduate students get a taste for research possibilities as part of the CP&E module: the main assignment is to design an experimental research programme involving any aspect of creativity, mind-game or performance area that they have a particular interest in. As this is just a paper study, they can be as creative and as bold as they want, and we have been astonished by the inventiveness of their choices. Studies have included ‘Creativity and the Michelin-starred chef’, ‘Motivation and cognitive profile of World-

class Hackers’, ‘Creativity and the use of Psychedelic Drugs’, ‘Skills in Computer Gaming’, ‘Adult Fans of Lego’, ‘Creativity in Topiary’ and ‘Championship performance in Rummikub’ to name but a few! Paige Vanleer (who is now one of our DPhil students) actually carried out her study into ‘The Effects of Handedness on Problem Solving Ability and Experience of Insight Moments’ as her undergraduate project, and presented her findings last September at the British Psychological Society Cognitive Section conference.

And at post-graduate level?Philip: We encourage projects in a wide range of areas within the CREATE domain, but can equally offer project ideas which complement the ongoing studies of our research-active staff members. Whichever way, students get to work with researchers who are highly skilled and immersed in the domain – our enthusiasm is deep-seated and infectious! Although post-graduate research has to be carried out ‘for real’, our post-graduate members still come up with some fascinating topics – such as ‘The role of Creativity in Medical Diagnosis’ (in collaboration with our Medical School), ‘Emotion and Insight in Problem-Solving’ and ‘Flexible Idea Generation and Fluid Intelligence’. We’re happy to consider any worthwhile project in the CREATE field: the creative choice is yours!

If you want to know more about this exciting area, whether at an Undergraduate or Postgraduate level, do get in touch with Philip and Kathryn.

Email: [email protected] or visit us at bit.ly/UBcreate


Alumni News

After completing my degree at Buckingham, I moved on to do an MSc in Human Cognitive Neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh, and have stayed there to study my PhD. I followed one of the pieces of advice I received at Buckingham: for your dissertation project, choose something you’re passionate about.

My PhD proposal included investigating scientists who spend a full year in Antarctica: six months of complete darkness, six months of sunshine. My PhD is now taking place in Svalbard rather than the Antarctic but still involves investigating how mental health and cognition is affected in extreme light and dark environments. It involves week-long journeys on small ships through storms raging at hurricane level; helicopter flights in the darkness of polar night; and day-long trips on small boats with huge waves!

Buckingham has helped me a great deal in realising my own potential as a researcher and has set my path to being an independent, confident and ambitious young researcher.

Anna TempPsychology 2013

I work in Merchandising for Reiss, which involves doing a lot of analysis on fashion sales. This allows me to optimise future buys to ensure that money is invested in the right product and also to ensure the current product is in the right place, at the right time, for the right price. I currently look after the US and Canada markets, as well as working on the UK products. My Psychology BSc degree has trained my analytical mind and has allowed me to think more strategically around problems. It also enabled me to progress onto my postgraduate degree in Buying and Merchandising at the London College of Fashion.

Studying at the University of Buckingham is a unique experience as the teaching is intensive and takes a personal approach which is extremely beneficial and rare to find elsewhere. Buckingham makes you feel valued as an individual and not just another student. The quality of teaching from staff who have a wealth of knowledge and passion is inspiring and translates into your own work and work ethic.

Georgina CowardPsychology 2014


Psychology at Buckingham:A second-year’s perspective

Psychology is one of the most popular degree programmes undertaken by students at university, which means there are a lot of universities to choose from when deciding where to study. I began my Psychology BSc at Buckingham in September 2014 and it has been the most challenging, rewarding and passion-inducing experience of my life. To give you some perspective, I have written about one of my favourite modules, Animal Behaviour.

Animal behaviour is an important area of psychology which is often overlooked when first considering what ‘psychology’ entails. As Darwin stated, ‘There is no fundamental difference between man and animals in their ability to feel pleasure and pain, happiness and misery’. Therefore, I feel that studying animal behaviour is not only useful for studying human behaviours but also an interesting field in itself.

At the University of Buckingham Animal Behaviour is an optional second-year module. I have learnt about how and why animals migrate, the cognitive capacities of animals compared to humans, why animals often live in large groups and the origin of some of these behaviours.

As part of our course, we were able to go on a field trip to Woburn Safari Park to conduct an observational study on squirrel monkeys and their behaviour. We had a few weeks to conduct some broad research into general squirrel monkey behaviour and, for my project in particular, I investigated how behaviours differed at feeding and non-feeding times, predicting that aggressive behaviour would be more likely noted at feeding time. We then had to analyse our findings to compare frequencies of aggressive and non-aggressive behaviours across feeding/non-feeding times. Fortunately, at Buckingham there is a wonderful statistics programme called SPSS which does all the hard maths for you! Our project was presented in a poster which allowed me to demonstrate my use of observational skills, statistical comparisons and formal APA writing style.

This was one of my favourite assignments to work on and I thoroughly enjoyed the process of observing, analysing and presenting my own findings for this topic.

I have written about one of my favourite modules, but the majority of the topics I have studied thus far in my degree have all been captivating.

Jenna Gillett


Events 2016

The Psychology Admissions office offers you lots of ways to see if our programme is right for you.

A Psychology degree represents a tremendous opportunity for personal and career development and the experience of being a Psychology Student for a Day or attending a Taster Tutorial will allow you to gain some insight into how Buckingham Psychology students study at BSc level.

Psychology Student for a Day: How to Build a Criminal12 September 2016 The Psychology Department at the University of Buckingham held a ‘Psychology Student for a Day: How to Build a Criminal’ event for those interested in studying Psychology at BSc level. The all-day event included a lecture, seminar and tutorial to demonstrate the range of teaching environments on offer and involved practical, theoretical and discussion-based learning.

This was an opportunity for those students at college or sixth-form already studying an A-Level in Psychology to see what it is like studying Psychology at BSc degree level.

Attendees had the opportunity to:• Experience a lecture on personality

traits and the link to criminality • Sample a tutorial on a forensic article

and see how students prepare for this • Take part in a seminar and carry

out psychometric tests to test for criminality risk factors

• Meet current students and find out what they think it’s like to be a student at Buckingham and how they are finding the unique two-year program

To check for future events like this, visit our website: www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/open-days/.

Psychology Taster Tutorials Every monthThe Psychology Department at the University of Buckingham hold monthly showcase tutorials for those interested in studying BSc Psychology. The tutorials take place at the Franciscan Building on our Verney Park Campus.

These are monthly two-hour Taster Tutorial sessions offering the opportunity for prospective students to see the


Psychology degree in action. At this session, you will:• Sample a tutorial to see if this style of

teaching is right for you• Meet the lecturers who teach on the

course• Chat to postgraduates who will

also describe the impact gaining a Psychology degree at the University of Buckingham has had on their lives

• Meet current students and find out what they think about the degree structure and content

• Find out what it’s like to be a student at Buckingham and how our students are finding the unique two-year programme

See www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/open-days/ for forthcoming dates and bookings.

University-wide Open Day 1 October 2016Open Days are ideal if you would prefer to visit on a Saturday and see other departments as well as Psychology. At our Open Days, you will:• Meet the lecturers who teach on our

courses• Chat to postgraduates who will

also describe the impact gaining a Psychology degree at the University of Buckingham has had on their lives

• Meet current students and find out what they think about the degree structure and content

• Find out what it’s like to be a student at Buckingham and how our students are finding the unique two-year programme

• Be able to take a tour of our beautiful campus

See www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/open-days/ for updates and bookings.

If you can’t make it, but you’d like to find out more, please email Rosie at [email protected] and she’ll arrange an individual appointment. Individual appointments are also available all year round. Parents are welcome at all our events.

School visitsDates by arrangementWorkshops, Taster Tutorials or interactive lectures are available on request. Our lecturers can host school visits at the University of Buckingham or arrange visits in school. Dates are subject to availability.


Science AdmissionsRosie JohnsonTel: +44 (0)1280 828204Email: [email protected]

University AdmissionsTel: +44 (0)1280 820313Email: [email protected]

International OfficeTel: +44 (0)1280 820155Email: [email protected]

Scholarships and bursaries

High Achiever ScholarshipsAn automatic scholarship, worth £2,500 per annum, is available to undergraduate Home (UK/EU) students achieving ABB or above in their A Levels.

Five Counties ScholarshipsUndergraduates living in Buckinghamshire (including Milton Keynes), Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, or Hertfordshire can receive up to £2,500 per annum towards their tuition fees.

Buckingham bursariesStudents in receipt of a maintenance loan of £5,000 or more per annum will receive an automatic bursary of £1,100 per annum.

Fees, bursaries and scholarships are reviewed each year, so the information provided is correct at the time of print. To access the most up-to-date information go to www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/fees or email [email protected]

Go to: www.buckingham.ac.uk/opendays

Book a tour by contacting us via the details above

Book a tour of the campusCome to an Open Day

The University of Buckingham, Yeomanry House, Hunter Street, Buckingham, MK18 1EG

facebook.com/UniBuckingham@UniOfBuckingham@UB_Psyc

study psychology: keeping your options open€¦ · a degree in forensic psychology can only lead...

Documents